When I walked away from Facebook’s press event last week, there was one thing I was truly excited for – Chat Heads. They allow for users to chat with friends over any application that is currently in use on your device. It removes the need to choose between a conversation with your friends and a game/movie/app you are using. In short, it’s genius.

Recently launched for Android is Ninja SMS. What this app does is pretty much like Chat Heads, except it isn’t for instant messages, it’s for text messages. When you get a text and are busy in an app, it pops up a box displaying the sender, the message and a few action buttons. With these buttons, you can select a lighter transparency so you can continue watching your YouTube video while conversing with your friends, minimize the chat into a single block with your friends picture for easy hiding and moving around your display, as well as going into full-screen mode for a full on chat experience.

I have been using it all morning and so far, I think I love it. My only issue is that of course, I use Google Voice, so my contact pictures don’t show up at all since I forward my Voice texts to the stock messaging app to get Ninja SMS to work. Either way, if you text from your direct phone number and have contact pictures set, I think you will enjoy this app quite a bit.

It costs a single dollar on Google Play, but check out the promo video below to get a feel for what the app does.

So the contact pictures are all out of whack. Google and Exchange. Not sure what the deal is there…

John Burke

Interesting but I instead use “Floating SMS” along with “Sliding Messaging”.

“Floating SMS” along with being a “Multi-window”-type SMS App it also puts a toast message with the SMS content at the bottom of the screen so I can read it. Then I can either expand the Notification & tap “Reply” which “Sliding Messaging” then puts a pop-up so I stay within the App I’m currently in, or I expand it & tap “Read” dismissing the Notification.

I also use “Glovebox” to house all my “Multi-window”-type Apps so I can send an SMS from any screen using “Floating SMS”.

I tried “Ninja SMS” & liked it but wish it defaulted to just the Contact’s head instead of the full chat pop-up. If it did I wouldn’t have refunded it…oh well. I’ll keep it in my Wishlist to keep an eye on it hoping for an update supporting that.

Also not a fan of a Persistent Notification.

Ryan Milton

“My only issue is that of course, I use Google Voice, so my contact pictures don’t show up at all since I forward my Voice texts to the stock messaging app to get Ninja SMS to work.”How do you forward GV texts to use this app, because I use the GVintegration, and it sort of works.

This will be cool for about a week until Babel comes out and it’s no longer supported. Then my dollar will be sad that it could have been a pack of gum.

ruggierohofman

before I looked at the draft which said $4868, I didn’t believe …that…my mom in-law woz like they say truly bringing in money parttime from their computer.. there friend brother haz done this 4 less than 17 months and at present repayed the loans on their mini mansion and bourt a great Lancia Straton. go to, — Gig60.ℂOM

I noticed that in the video, the user it typing without a keyboard. I’m sure they’re using their computer keyboard or something for the demonstration. Now, if a real Android keyboard popped up, wouldn’t it sort of defeat the purpose of the transparency? Also, it seems like it would be a mess in landscape mode, where a pop-up keyboard would cover the entire screen. But these are just my opinions.

What does that matter? Just because it isn’t confirmed doesn’t mean I can’t hope. What I was actually meaning, was that I would like to see google do something like this in their “rumored” revamped messaging app. Should I always go into over the top detail for those who need the help?

i dont understand. i want it to work. Whenever i get a text from handcent during a youtube video or playing a game it freezes the app i was in. I want this to work but it isnt. Oh and smspopup wont work either. i dont know.

It is a very clean solution to text from devices other than your phone. At work I primarily use the chrome extension. At home I use my tablet. Not to mention it’s really cool to have a record of all your texts from over the years. My wife and I were going through ones we sent to each other when we first met the other day, it was fun.

That said.. it seems every day it’s few shortcomings make it less and less worth it.

droidftw

I only use Voice for voicemails as well. I can’t be bothered to deal with having two #s.

I would use voice for sms if it was more like the stock sms app. I guess i haven’t tried it in a while but the last several times i gave it a go, i would end up with multiple conversations from the same person, and in general, a really crappy experience.

my only problem with the SMS pop up is you can’t see what was previously said :/ i wish they included that somehow like they have it on bite sms on ios (yes i had an iphone at one point don’t hate i woke up soon enough)